Bedstead for invalids.



No. 796,791. PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905.

' J. o. ANDERSON.

BEDSTEAD POR INVALIDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19,1904.

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ATTORNEYS No. 796,791. PATBNTBD AUG. 8, 1905.

J. G. ANDERSON.

BEDSTEAD FOR INVALIDS. PPLIOATION rms SEPT. 19,1904.

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l/VVE/VOR es Uma/fazmraow l No. 796,791. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905.

J. C. ANDERSON.

BEDSTBAD POR INVALIDS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 19,19011.

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l i llwnulh /ITTURNEYS 'Uivirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES CRAWFORD ANDERSON, OF VICTORIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO CATHERINE REGAN AND ELLEN EUGENIA ANDERSON, OF VICTORIA,

CANADA.

Y BEDSTEAD FOR INVALIDS.

Specicaton of Letters Iatent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed September 19, 1904:. Serial No. 225,037.

Beit known that I, JAMES CRAWFORD AN- DERsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Bedstead for Invalids, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bedsteads mainly intended for the sick-room or for bedridden persons and others who find a lack of convenience in the present-day bedstead.

The purpose of the invention isto provide a mattress attachment to the frame of bedsteads, which mattress is provided with a hinged head and foot section capable of being independently or simultaneously raised to stand at an angle to the body or central portion of the mattress and lowered to a horizontal alinement with the said body-section, so that either the head or the feet of the patient or both portions of the body may be given any desired inclination.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide means hydraulically or pneumatically operated, which means in addition to operating the head and foot sections of the mattress are also employed for raising the patient bodily, each operation being accomplished as rapidly or as slowly as desired and without jar to the patient.

A further purpose of the invention is to so construct the said operating means that the patient if strong enough may manipulate the same and to render said means so simple in design and operation that the attachment can be successfully operated by any one of ordinary intelligence, the said attachment likewise serving to dispense with the arduous practice of lifting patients manually to various positions and turning them, and the attachment likewise dispenses with the usual slow tedious manner of changing thebedclothes.

It is also a purpose of the invention to provide an operating mechanism in which but aV single valve is employed, manipulated in one direction when the parts to be operated upon are to be raised and manipulated in another direction when said parts are to be lowered.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide adjustable supports for straps to be utilized by the patients in lifting or turning themselves, together with adjustable supports from which the lower limbs maybe suspended and an adjustable support for a table, capable of being utilized as a reading or writing desk, which support is laterally and vertically adjustable and is mounted for rocking movement to and from the mattress.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theiigures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved bed, illustrating the elevating device in elevated position and as carrying a canvas whereby the patient can be bodily raised. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the bedstead. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the operating-cylinder, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the posts and through one of the roller-guides of the elevating mechanism'engaging with the post.

The frame of the bedstead consists of the usual four legs 10, connected by side bars 11 and head and foot bars 12, all of which members are tubular and preferably made of metal. A tubular coupling 13 is located at the upper end of each leg, connecting with the side bars 11 and head and foot bars 12 and in each coupling a tubular upwardly-extending post 14 is fitted, and tubular couplings 15 are located at the upper portions of the posts 14, upper tubular side bars 16 connecting the fittings at the sides of the main frame, and head and foot tubular bars 17 connect the said couplings at the head and foot sections of the frame.

A cross-bar 18 is mounted to slide on the upper tubular side bars 16, being held in adjusted position by means of set-screws 19, as shown in Fig. 1, and straps 20 are carried by this cross-bar 18, which straps-are adapted to assist the patient in turning over or in changing position. This cross-bar 18 is located at the head portion of the frame, and at the foot portion of the frame a corresponding cross-bar 21 is likewise adj ustably located on the tubular side bars 16, being heldin adl the inner and smaller cylinder 30.

justed position by set-screws 22. This foot cross-bar 21 may be utilized to suspend one or both of the lower limbs of the patient.

The mattress A is made in three sections a center or body section a, a head-section a', and a foot-section (L2-the head and the foot sections being pivotally attached to the end portions of the central or body section a by means of suitable pivot-rods 23, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as the head and foot sections are adapted to be carried from their normal horizontal position to an upper position at an angle to the body of the mattress, and the head and foot sections may be o erated simultaneously or one independent o the other.

The center or body section a of the mattress A consists of opposing side bars 24 and a lace-work of spring-wire 25, sundry of the wires extending from one side bar to the other and others from one pivot-rod 23 to the other, as is also shown in Fig. 1. The head and the foot sections a and L2 are of like construction and consist each of side bars 26 pivoted, as stated, by the pivot-bars 23 to the central or body section a, and an end bar 27, together with spring-wires 28, extending from one side bar tothe other.

The head and the foot sections of the mattress are operated pneumatically or hydraulically. ln the drawings they are represented as being hydraulically operated, and the same means may be employed for pneumatic operation. These means consist, primarily, of two double cylinders B and C, the cylinder B being an operating-cylinder and the cylinder C a lifting-cylinder. The operating-cylinder B is located about centrally of the head portion of the bed-frame, being secured in anyl suitable or approved manner to the head cross-bar 12, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The detail construction of this operating-cylinder B is shown best in Fig. 2, wherein it will be observed that an outer cylinder 29 is employed, together with an inner cylinder 3() of lesser diameter. The larger and outer cylinder 29 is provided with a head 31, screwed and suitably packed, and the said head is provided with an opening over the upper end of the smaller and inner cylinder 30, which opening is surrounded by a collar 32, on which collar a suitable gland 33 is screwed or otherwise secured. The lower end-of the inner cylinder extends down through an opening in the lower head 35 of the outer cylinder 29, as shown at 34, and this extending portion 34 of the inner cylinder is exteriorly threaded to receive a bushing 36. In this bushing a nipple 37 is secured,and a pipe 38 is secured to the said nipple, being in direct communication with At the lower portion of the inner or smaller cylinder 30 a valve-chamber 39 is formed, having an opening 40 therein communicating with the interior of the outer and larger cylinder 29,

and this opening is normally closed by a spring-controlled valve 41. A piston 42 has suitable movement in the smaller and inner cylinder 30, being provided at its lower end with a suitably-packed head 43, and the piston extends out through the gland 33 and is pivotally attached to about the central portion of a lever 44, ivoted at one end to a bracket 45, secured to t e head-bar 12 of the bedsteadframe. A branch pipe 46 is connected with the bottom of the larger or outer cylinder 29, and this pipe is likewise connected with the line-pipe 38 above referred to. A valve 47 is located at a point in the branch pipe 46, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plug of which valve has a two-way opening, and the said plug is connected with the stem 48, preferably held to turn in and pass through one of the legs 10 of the bedstead, being provided with a crank or with a hand-wheel 49 at its outer end, so that said valve 47 may be opened or closed at will. With reference to the lifting-cylinder C, the detail construction of this double cylinder is likewise shown in Fig. 2, and it consists of an inner cylinder 50, secured to the base 51 at its lower end, and an outer cylinder 52, mounted to slide on the inner cylinder 50. rl`he inner cylinder is open at its uv per end and closed at its lower end, and t e line-pipe 38 from the double operating-cylinder B enters the lower portion of the inner cylinder 50 of the double lifting-cylinder C. The outer cylinder 52 of the double lifting-cylinder C is open at its bottom portion and is closed at the top by means of a cap 53, preferably removable from the outer cylinder 52.

Horizontal projections 54 and 55 extend in direction of the head and the foot of the bed from the lower end of the outer cylinder 52, and these projections have their upper surfaces concaved or rendered trough-like, and at one side each projection 54 and 55 is provided with a recess leading into the radially-concaved upper surface of the projection, as is shown in Fig. 1.

Lifting-rods 57 and 58, which are free at their lower ends, are adapted in operation to enter the concavities in the projections 54 and 55 from the outer cylinder 52 of the lifting-cylinder C. These lifting-rods 57 and 58 are pivoted at their upper ends to downwardly-extending lugs 59, secured to longitudinal bars 60, located at the longitudinal central portions of the head and foot sections of the mattress, respectively, as is particularly shown in Fig. 2.

It may be here remarked that the central section a of the mattress is secured to the side bars 11 of the bedstead by means of suitable clips 25a, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. y Handles 61 extend out from the liftingrods 57 and 58 in the same direction as the `stem 48 of the valve 47, and by means of the other, or both, of the lifting-rods in engagement with a projection 54 or 55, to which said rods belong, so that as the outer cylinder 52 of the lifting-cylinder C is elevated the lifting-rods 57 and 58 on the rod carried l by the cylinder will be elevated also, and consequently the head or foot section, connected with the elevated lifting-rod will be raised to an upper inclined position more or less acute,

- as the person may desire.

A spider-frame D is secured to the outer cylinder 52 of the lifting-cylinder C, which spider-frame consists of a ring 62, secured to said cylinder 52, together with rods 63, which extend from the said ring 62 in direction of each leg of the bedstead. These rods comprise main sections d, which extend in direction of the corners of the bedstead, as

stated, with an upward inclination and vertical terminal members d', which extend upjacent to the head portion of said vertical members, and cheek-pieces 65 extend outward from the ysaid skeleton frame at each side of the upper posts 14 of the bedstead. The said cheeks 65 carry grooved rollers 66, which travel on said upper posts 14, so that as the spider-frame D and the cylinder 52 are raised and lowered they are guided in such movement, and the movement will be smooth no matter how rapid or how slow, and the spider-frame is effectually prevented from having lateral movement. The spiderframe D is braced by means of cross-straps 67, secured to the cap or head 53 of the outer cylinder 52 of the lifting-cylinder C, the straps being attached to diagonally opposite vertical sections d of the frame D. Said frame D is further strengthened by head and foot straps 68, connecting transversely-opposing vertical sections d of the said frame D.

When the patient is to be lifted bodily, the lifting-bars 57 and 58 are disconnected from the cylinder 52, and a canvas blanket 69 is stretched over the mattress and is secured to the head portions of the vertical sections d of the spider-frame D by passing gromets 70, located at the corners of the blanket, over the heads of the said vertical sections d', as is shown in Fig. 1, the patient lying on the blanket, so that when the frame D is raised the blanket 69 is carried upward with it, enabling the patient to lie comfortably while the attendant can conveniently and with despatch change the bedding.

ln connection with the bedstead I employ a table 73, which is mounted to slide on a horizontal rod`7 2 and is heldin adjusted position by a set-screw 74. This table is provided with a flange 75 at one edge, so that it may be readily converted into a desk for reading or writing purposes. The horizontal bar 72 is secured to the upper end of a supporting-bar 71. This supporting-bar is rendered adjustable through the medium of a double clip device E, said double clip device including a vertical clip 76, mounted to slide on the side bar 11 of the bedstead and held in adjusted position by a suitable set-screw 7 6,

while another clip 77 extends horizontally' from the clip 7 6, and through this clip the supporting-rod 71 is passed and is held 1n adjusted position by means of a set-screw 78. Thus it will be observed that by loosening the set-screw 76L the clamping device may be slipped along the side bar 11 of the bedstead to any desired point in the length of the bar and that the supporting-bar 71 may be raised and lowered by loosening the set-screw 78. By loosening the set-screw 7 6 the sup- `porting-bar may be carried to or from the mattress, as is shown by broken lines in Fig. 3.

Brace-rods 79 preferably extend up from the base 51 for the double lifting-cylinder C to a suitable connection with the lower side bars 11 of the bedstead.

Preferably the lower ends of the legs 10 are closed, although casters 80 are employed in connection with the legs, and as all the members of the bedstead-frame are tubular this frame may be heated, so as to impart warmth to a patient, by introducing hot water or steam into one of the tubular members and permitting it to circulate through the other members, a suitable tap being provided for the exit of the heating medium when desired. To that end in Fig. 1 I have illustrated a nipple 81, tapped into one of the legs 10, to which a tube 82 is connected, adapted also for connection with a source of hot-water supply or any source of steam or hot-water supply.

It will be understood that the attachment is applicable to any bed having slight extensions above the mattress at the corners of the bedstead, and it is likewise intended that the beds having the attachment applied can be v operated singly or in series.

In operation if either the head or the foot section of the mattress is to be elevated its connected rod is made to engage with one of the projections 54 and 55 on the outer cylinder 52 of the double lifting-cylinder C, and if both of the end sections of the mattress are to be simultaneously elevated both of their lifting-rods 57 and 58 are made to engage, respectively, with the projections 54 and 55 from the aforesaid cylinder 52. The inner cylinder 50, having been iilled with li uid while in its normal or lower position and iquid having been fed likewise into the outer cylinder 29 of the operating or power cylinder B the valve 47 is opened, and by means of the lever 44 the piston 42 is operated four or five strokes. At each stroke of the lever 44 the liquid in the outer cylinder 29 of the operating or power cylinder B will be drawn into the cylinder 30 of the said double power-cylinder through the valve-chamber 39, and as the piston descends this liquid is forced-through the pipe 3S into the inner cylinder 50 of the double lifting-cylinder C. Thus at each stroke of the piston 42 the outer cylinder 52 of the double lifting-cylinder C is raised to a greater or lesser extent. rIhis operation is continued until the head and foot sections, one or both of them, whichever is brought into action, is elevated as far as may be desired. When the patient is to be bodily raised, the blanket or sheet 69 is placed in position on the vertical sections or arms d of the spider-frame D While the blanket is yet upon the mattress, and upon repeating the operation at the lever 44 the spider-frame D will be elevated, as is shown in Fig. l, sufficiently to permit any necessary operations to be performed as to the bedding or the mattress while the patient is raised entirely out of the way and is as comfortable as when in normal position on the mattress.y

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In bedsteads for invalids, a frame, a mattress on the frame, provided with a hinged section, a lifting-cylinder, a lifting-rod for the said hinged section operated by the lifting-cylinder, and a pneumatic or hydraulic operating-cylinder connected with the lifting-cylinder.

2. In bedsteads for invalids, a frame, a mattress carried by the frame, comprising a body-section secured to the frame and an end section hinged to the body-section, a liftingcylinder, a lifting-rodfor the hinged mattresssection, detachably connected with and operated by the lifting-cylinder, and a pneumatic or hydraulic operating-cylinder connected With the lifting-cylinder.

3. In bedsteads for invalids, a frame, a mattress carried by the frame, comprising a body-section secured to the frame and an end section hinged to the body-section, a liftingcylinder, rods for the hinged mattress-section detachably connected with and operated by the lifting-cylinder, a spider-frame attached to and also operated by the liftingcylinder, having arms which extend up beyond the corner portions of the mattress for attachment to a blanket or sheet, a pneumatic or hydraulic operating-cylinder, and a connection between the operating and the lifting cylinders.

4. In bedsteads for invalids, a frame, a mattress carried by the frame, comprising a body-section secured to the frame and an end section hinged to the body-section, a liftingcylinder, rods for the hinged mattress-section, detachably'connected with and operated by the lifting-cylinder, a spider-frame attached to and also operated by the liftingcylinder, having arms which extend up beyond the corner portions of the mattress for attachment to a blanket or sheet, a pneumatic or hydraulic operating-cylinder, and a connection between the operating and the lifting cylinders, posts extending up from the corner portions of the bedstead-frame, extensions from the upright arms of the spiderframe, and friction-rollers carried by the said extensions, having bearin u on said posts.

5. ln invalid-beds, a be stead-frame, a mattress having a section secured to the frame and a hinged end section, a spiderframe having movement to and from the mattress and provided with vertical arms extending upward at the corner portions of the mattress and beyond the same, a carrier for the spider-frame,`lifting devices for the hinged mattress-section, operated by the said carrier, and means for pneumatically or hydraulically raising and lowering the carrier.

6. In invalid-bedsteads, a lifting device, consisting of an inner cylinder closed at the bottom and open at the top, an outer cylinder having sliding movement on the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder being open at the bottom and closed at the top, and a power device comprising an inner and an outer cylinder, the inner cylinder being provided with a valve-chamber extending into the interior of the outer cylinder, a piston mounted to slide in the inner cylinder, meansfor operating the piston, a main connecting-pipe between the inner cylinder of the power device and the inner cylinder of the lifting device, and a valved branch pipe connecting the main pipe with the outer cylinder of the power device, the said inner cylinder of the lifting device and the outer cylinder of the power device being adapted to contain a fluid.

7. In` invalid-bedsteads, a lifting device comprising an inner cylinder closed at the bottom and open at the top, an outer cylinder mounted to slide on the inner cylinder, open at the bottom and closed at the top, opposing projections at opposite sides of the said outer cylinder, a skeleton frame attached to the said outer cylinder, comprising a ring and outwardly-extending rods, two rods extending in diverging lines from opposite sides of the cylinder, and arms extending upward from the outer ends of the said rods, a power device comprising an outer cylinder, and an inner cylinder of much less diameter, the inner cylinder at its lower portion being provided with a valved chamber, the inlet whereof is normally closed by a spring-controlled valve, the said chamber being in communication with the interior of the outer cylinder, a plunger mounted for movement in the inner cylinder, a lever connected with the said plunger to operate the same, the inner cylinder of the power device and the inner cylinder of the lifting device being adapted to contain a Huid, a main pipe connected With the lower end of the inner cylinder of the power device and the lower end of the inner cylinder of the lifting device, a branch pipe connecting the main pipe with the bottom of the outer cylinder of the power device, and a valve located in the branch 1 e. p In bedsteads for invalids, a frame, a mattress on the frame having a hinged sece tion, a lifting device for the hinged section, comprising an inner cylinder open at the top name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES CRAWFORD ANDERSON. Witnesses:

ROY E. PEABODY, R. J. TAYLOR. 

